Missouri Coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s Scheduling Excuses Don’t Hold Up Against Big Ten Results - Eleven Warriors

What the report says

Eleven Warriors reported that Missouri football coach Eliah Drinkwitz used his appearance at SEC Football Media Days on Monday to question whether Big Ten teams have benefited from looser nonconference scheduling rules. Drinkwitz pointed to the Big Ten not requiring members to schedule a Power Four opponent outside league play and linked that policy to the conference’s recent College Football Playoff success.

According to the article, Drinkwitz also referenced SEC discussions about moving from eight to nine conference games, saying the league made decisions under the belief that playoff expansion was tied to that shift. He suggested, in hindsight, that SEC decision-makers did not fully account for the Big Ten lacking a similar Power Four nonconference requirement.

The Eleven Warriors piece challenged that argument by citing recent postseason results. It said the Big Ten has won the last three national championships and gone 4-0 against SEC teams in CFP games over that span, outscoring them 137-54. The examples cited included Michigan beating Alabama, Ohio State defeating Tennessee and Texas during its title run, and Indiana beating Alabama before winning the championship last season.

The article also noted that Missouri’s own 2026 Power Four nonconference game is against Kansas, alongside matchups with Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Troy. It added, via a referenced social media post, that 13 Big Ten teams are scheduled to play Power Four nonconference opponents this season despite the absence of a league mandate. The debate matters because scheduling strength remains central to playoff access, conference comparisons and perceptions of competitive balance.